This legislative update was shared with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty Senate. The senate meets the first Monday of every month at 3:30 pm during the academic year, October through May, except in January. Guests are welcome to attend meetings, which are held in Room 272 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive.
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This legislative update was shared with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty Senate y. The senate meets the first Monday of every month at 3:30 pm during the academic year, October through May, except in January. Guests are welcome to attend meetings, which are held in Room 272 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive.
The Wisconsin Legislature has been busy with committee hearings and floor sessions, and Governor Tony Evers is scheduled to deliver his State of the State address on February 15. Evers and members of the Legislature will make a final legislative push over the next several weeks before turning their attention the November elections.
Fall Elections
Democratic Governor Tony Evers is running for re-election, but Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes has instead joined a crowded field of Democrats vying to challenge two-term Republican Senator Ron Johnson. The Republican race for the gubernatorial nomination heated up last week when Delafield businessman Kevin Nicholson announced his candidacy, challenging former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch for the Republican nomination.
Legislature
PROFS is actively lobbying on and monitoring several pieces of legislation:
UW System Presidential Search and UW-Madison Chancellor Search
The UW System Board of Regents named Milwaukee attorney Jay Rothman as UW System President. Rothman, Chair and CEO of Foley & Lardner, will begin in June. He is a graduate of Marquette University and Harvard Law School. The UW-Madison Chancellor Search Committee released a position description last month and is accepting nominations until March 11. The committee hopes to announce finalists for the position in April.
This legislative update was shared with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty Senate today. The senate meets the first Monday of every month at 3:30 pm during the academic year, October through May, except in January. Guests are welcome to attend meetings, which are held in Room 272 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive.
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Last Thursday, University of Wisconsin System Interim President Tommy Thompson participated in a virtual WisPolitics luncheon and shared his plans to welcome students, faculty, and staff back to campus this fall. Thompson also reiterated his view that the Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules does not have authority to require UW System to submit Covid-19 policies to the committee for its approval.
State Representative Adam Neylon (R-Pewaukee) appeared on WISN’s UPFRONT yesterday to discuss recent action by the Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) that would require UW System to promulgate emergency rules for COVID-19 related policies within 30 days. The committee, which is co-chaired by Neylon and State Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), would then approve or suspend the proposed rules.
Neylon told host Adrienne Pedersen the committee’s intent is to prevent overreach by the university:
“Too often, we’ve allowed agencies, the administration, the UW System, to circumvent the legislative process in doing these unilateral rules that have the same impact as law, without going through the legal legislative process.”
PROFS is strongly opposed to the action of the JCRAR. Our statement is here.
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Last night, the Wisconsin State Senate approved the the 2021-23 state budget proposal by a vote of 23-9. Three Democrats — Senate Majority Leader Janet Bewley, Brad Pfaff and Jeff Smith — joined all the Republicans present to vote in favor of the bill. This is the first time since 2007 that a budget bill passed with bipartisan support. The bill now awaits action from Governor Tony Evers who can sign the bill into law, sign it with partial vetoes, or fully veto the bill.
PROFS statement on the budget is below:
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PROFS, the La Follette School of Public Affairs, and ASPRO hosted a campus forum on the state budget on Friday, May 7. The forum featured State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point), State Senator Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) and Jason Stein, research director at the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Professor Susan Yackee of the La Follette School moderated the discussion.
Yesterday, PROFS President Michael Bernard-Donals was invited to speak on behalf of PROFS about campus free speech at an informational hearing of the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges. His remarks are below.
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PROFS continues to lobby on two bills that relate to UW Extension. While the regular session of the legislature ended today, a special session could be called later this spring.
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